Donald Trump shuffles campaign as poll shows 7 out of 10 don’t like him
A new poll shows 7 out of 10 Americans hold an unfavorable view of Donald Trump, who announced he’s reshuffling his campaign after his loss in this week’s Wisconsin primary.
The Associated Press-GfK poll shows Trump with what the AP described as “unprecedented unpopularity” among those of every race, gender and political viewpoint.
Among Republicans, the poll found nearly half don’t like their party’s current front-runner.
Sixty-three percent of registered voters said they “definitely would not vote for” Trump in a general election, including 31% of Republicans.
Still, Trump continues to lead the Republican race in delegates.
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But while he enjoys a steady base of support among Republicans, as AP notes, the numbers raise questions as to whether Trump can gain enough support from voters at large to win a general election.
Ben Carson, Trump’s one-time rival who’s since endorsed his campaign, said Thursday said it was an "obvious statement" that there were others who might make a better president than the New York billionaire.
"Obviously, there's always going to be someone who's better at virtually anything," Carson told CNN’s John Bermna and Kate Bolduan. "That doesn't mean that you're not good. But of course, there are always better people at anything"
Trump’s unfavorability has risen in recent weeks, climbing from 58% in mid-February to 69%, according to this week’s poll.
For comparison, 59% of Americans viewed Ted Cruz unfavorably in the latest poll, and 55% said the same of Hillary Clinton.
Trump's rise in unfavorability came after a period in which Trump embroiled himself in several high-profile controversies.
In recent weeks, Trump has made (and then walked back) a claim that women should be punished for having banned abortions, threatened and insulted Cruz’s wife and defended a campaign manager charged with battery against a female reporter.
The poll also comes in the wake of Trump's loss to Ted Cruz in Wisconsin, an upset that increased the chances of a contested Republican convention this summer.
Trump announced Thursday that he would expand the role of Paul Manafort, previously tasked with leading delegate operations, to include all convention efforts related to securing Trump’s nomination.
“The nomination process has reached a point that requires someone familiar with the complexities involved in the final stages,” Trump said in a statement.
The AP-Gfk poll surveyed 1,076 adults via phone and online from March 3 to April 4. It has a sample error of plus or minus 3.3%.
[h/t AP]
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